Expanding your English vocabulary range does not have to be complicated. You can do it immediately by simply modifying the words you already know, and keep building as you learn new words.
One way to modify words is to add prefixes and suffixes to them. Prefixes are those little parts that come before a word. Suffixes come at the end.
But, before we look at these newly created words, it’s crucial to be aware of the functions of each prefix and suffix, as these depend on context, part of speech, the functions of other words, etc.
Look at the these prefixes as examples: un- dis-, de-, il-, in-, im-, mis-, ir-, non-, a-, anti-
In most cases, these prefixes imply a negative or opposing aspect of the word they are attached to. However, even these aspects can have different functions and/or meanings, depending on the word combinations, the contexts they are used in, and so on.
Why learn just one new word when you can learn many just as quickly?
These differences can be subtle:
uncover— v. make not covered — find something hidden
discover— v. make not covered — find something new/for the first time
The reporter uncovered a conspiracy involving some of the top politicians in the country.
The astronomer discovered what turned out to be a new planet.
(These two words are often used interchangeably, though the difference does exist and should be noted.)
In other cases, the differences can be seen in unrelated meanings and parts of speech:
uninterested (adj.) — not interested (lacking interest)
disinterested (adj.) — unbiased, impartial (also means not interested, but less commonly used in this form)
disinterest (n.) — lack of interest
Most children tend to be uninterested in the music that influenced their parents’ generation.
A judge’s duty is to observe in a disinterested manner and reach conclusions based on facts alone.
While uninterested describes a person’s feeling, uninteresting is also an adjective that describes the thing, place, person, etc. that a person is uninterested in (i.e., the music is uninteresting, the teenager is uninterested in this music.). Disinteresting is not a usable form.
Due to the students’ obvious disinterest in the subject, the teacher decided to teach something else.
In the noun form, there is only disinterest.
Suffixes are mainly used to modify a word’s function in terms of part of speech. Prefixes can also be used in combination with suffixes.
Be aware of the changes in use/function:
able (adj.)
unable (adj.) — not able
disable (v.) — make not able (not work properly)
inability (n.) — state of being not able
prefixes: un-, dis-, in-; suffix: -ity
The company was unable to employ the hacker because of his inability to disable a basic firewall which would have allowed him into the virtual interview.
Some combinations of prefixes and suffixes have no relation to each other:
irregular (adj.) – not regular, abnormal, out of the ordinary (ir- + regular (adj.))
deregulate (v.) – remove/stop controls and/or restrictions (de- + regular + -ate (v.))
unregulated (adj.) – not under the control of an authority (un- + regular _ -ate (v.) + -(e)d (adj.))
February is an irregular month as it has fewer than 30 days.
The new administration wants to deregulate the petroleum industry so that drillers can produce more domestic oil.
Many people worry that an unregulated cryptocurrency market will allow bad actors to manipulate the tax system of the nation and defraud the government.
Tip: As you learn new words, consider other forms they may take. Keep a record of these (see sample below). Unfortunately, some memorization is required in terms of which prefixes/suffixes go with which words and their differences in meaning/use.
| NOUN | VERB | ADJECTIVE | ADVERB |
|---|---|---|---|
| regularity irregularity regulation deregulation | regulate deregulate | regular irregular unregulated deregulated | regularly irregularly |
| activity inactivity action inaction act activation deactivation | activate deactivate act enact (en– means put into; not a negative) | active inactive | actively inactively |
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